From the Future to Change the Past
by Jasmine Indigo Sappihhra
Summary: Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny travel to the past to change the future. There they meet the true Marauders and Lily who listen with rapt attention to the story of Harry Potter. Adopted from Kirby1234. R/R
1. Introductions

It was the winter holidays. Three boys and one girl were all that was left of the loud and boisterous Gryffindor House. The four were all in their seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The boys were currently lounging in the Gryffindor common room. One of the boys with black hair moaned, "I'm bored, Prongs. Let's do something." The second boy, hence Prongs, had hair that was also black, but his was messy and he wore glasses over mischievous hazel eyes.

He opened his mouth to reply, but never finished as a flash of bright light filled the room. The occupants of the room jumped to their feet, pulling wands out as they did so. A pounding was heard as the only girl came running down the stairs with her wand drawn as well. They pointed their wands at the small pile of people at their feet.

"What the bloody hell-!" began a tall boy with red hair and freckles. He looked about 17.

"Ron!" admonished a girl with bushy brown hair, who also looked 17 or 18, "Language!"

"But seriously, where are we?" a girl with long red hair looked around. She looked around 16 or 17. "Harry?"

A boy with messy black hair, emerald eyes, and a curious lightning shaped scar on his forehead, looking about 17, was staring at the previous occupants of the room, the three boys and the girl. "Mum? Dad? Sirius? Remus?" he whispered staring.

The four teenagers untangled themselves slowly and stood up.

"Who are you?" said the other boy sharply, the boy with sandy hair and amber eyes.

The group stood up nervously, their eyes trained on the wands pointed at them.

"Um. I'm Hermione Granger," began the girl with bushy brown hair.

"I'm Ron Weasley," the redheaded boy said.

"I'm Ginny Weasley," announced the redheaded girl, looking fearlessly at the wands.

"And I'm Harry Potter," the black haired boy with the scar finished.

"LIES!" yelled Prongs, "Me and my dad are the last Potters!"

"Um. We're from the future. Harry is your son, James." Hermione told him.

James gaped at her.

"They're lying," said the other black haired boy, Sirius, flatly.

"Sirius!" cried Harry, "I'm not lying!"

"They're not," a quiet voice said. The voice belonged to Lily Evans, a redheaded girl with green eyes just like Harry's.

"Lilypad! How do you know?" demanded Sirius.

"His eyes are just like mine. His hair is just like James's, all unruly and stuck up at the back." She said as she rolled her eyes at Sirius' use of the stupid nickname he came up with.

"I believe them," announced the sandy haired boy, Remus Lupin, "How else would they know our names, and Harry looks exactly like you James, with Lily's eyes."

Harry groaned, "I hear that waaaaayyy too often," he grumped. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all chuckled behind their hands.

"Hey Lily. If he has your eyes and my hair, you know what that means right?" asked James wickedly.

"I expected it to happen anyway, Potter," replied Lily haughtily. Her look was spoiled when she started to laugh. She stopped abruptly. "Harry, am I a good mother?" she asked.

Harry's eyes started to prickle with unshed tears. "The best," he managed to choke out, looking at the floor. Ginny came over and put her arms around him.

Suddenly there was another bright flash of light, but smaller. A book fell and hit Sirius on the head. He toppled down.

"OW!" he yelled, rubbing the top of his head. He reached over and picked up the book. "**Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,**" He read. He looked up at Harry. "Is this book about you?"

"Probably," Ron answered for him. Harry shot Ron a grateful look.

"Let's read!" Sirius plopped down on a sofa. "What?" he asked, looking at their surprised expressions.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when Sirius Black wants to read a book," Remus finally said. Sirius just looked hurt. He opened the book and peered inside before his face scrunched up, like he was in deep concentration.

"What's the matter?" asked Hermione, looking concerned.

"That book was published in 1997!" he said slowly, still confused.

"We are from the future," Ginny reminded him.

"Oh right, forgot about that. Dang, this is weird!" Sirius said finally obtaining comprehension

Sirius picked up the book, sat down, and was just about to open the book when Ginny asked "Is there anyone else staying here during the holidays?"

Remus spoke up "No, but the professors could pop up at anytime.

"Let's go somewhere else. We don't want to involve the professors just yet," Ron said looking at Harry, who nodded.

"You mean they're coming too?" James whined

"Yes, we will eventually add more people, it is necessary for them to understand the future from where we come-"

"Ok, Hermione, I think they get it" Harry said laughing as he watched James and Sirius' mouths drop open in shock

"It- it's another Moony! Is that even possible? One Moony is enough..but two Moonys? It's the end or the world, there are too many smart people!"

"James dear?"

"Yes Lily flower?"

"Shut up."

"Yes dear."

By this time, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were all on the floor having collapsed from laughing so hard and Sirius and Remus weren't far behind. Finally, when they could all breathe, James led them out of the portrait hole and to the hallway with a tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy getting clubbed by a troll in a tutu.

"Why are we here?" asked Lily. Everyone ignored her.

_We need a place where no one can find us… we need a place where we won't be disturbed… we need a place where we can read a book in peace…_

An ornate door appeared on the blank wall. They entered to find an almost exact copy of the Gryffindor common room.

"Wow! Where are we?" asked Lily, looking around in wonder.

"Welcome to the Room of Requirement, also known as the Come and Go Room," announced James proudly. James took Lily's hand and they sat next to each other on a sofa. Ron, Hermione took a sofa as well. Harry sat in an armchair and Ginny sat on the arm. Remus and Sirius sat in separate armchairs. Once everyone was settled comfortably, Sirius grabbed the book.

"Is everyone ready for storytime?" he asked in his "kindergarten teacher" voice. Everyone rolled their eyes.

"Sirius?"

"Yes Lilypad?"

"Read or I will take that book from you."

"Yes Lilypad."

"Here we go!" Siriussaid excitedly, cracking open the book.

A/N: Ok, so this is my first story, and it is a Reading the books series. I love these so much, so when I saw that Kirby1234 abandoned hers, I asked to pick it up and she agreed. Review please and tell me how I'm doing! I won't know what to fix if you won't tell me.

~Jasmine Indigo Sappihhra~


	2. Chapter 1 The Boy Who Lived

"**Chapter One,"**read Sirius, "**The Boy Who Lived."**

"Who is the boy who lived?" asked James.

"Well, Prongs, I would assume it is your son, as the whole book is about him," replied Remus.

"Oh yeah but them why would the chapter be called 'The Boy Who Lived?' of course he lives, what else would the book be about?" shot back James.

"Just keep reading," interrupted Harry, "You'll find our soon."

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,**

Harry clenched his fist.

**of Number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

"Why are we reading about these people?" demanded Sirius, "They sound boring."

"You'll find out very soon," replied Harry though gritted teeth.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

"Nonsense?" James said. He looked angry. Sirius kept hastily continued reading.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings,**

James, Sirius, Remus and Ron snorted. "Grunnings?"

**which made drills.**

"What's a drill?" asked Sirius, confused.

"I thought you took Muggle Studies," Lily said.

"Do you think I actually paid attention?" demanded Sirius, "I just took it to annoy my parents!"

Lily sighed and explained what a drill was.

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly and neck, although he did have a very large mustache.**

"Very attractive," drawled Remus.

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on neighbors.**

Lily frowned. "That sounds like my sister," she commented. Then she remembered, "She's engaged to a man named Dursley that very much sounds like this person."

Harry said offhandedly, "Oh yeah, that's your sister."

Lily glanced at Harry, waving Sirius to continue.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

"I already hate this boy," James said, "I bet he's going to be a git."

"You're on. One galleon," replied Sirius instantly.

"What- I- but" sputtered James.

"Are you afraid you'll lose?" taunted Sirius.

James glared and said, "Deal. One galleon."

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret,**

"Mrs. Dursley has blue hair and a purple mustache but wears a wig and shaves off her mustache every day!" said Sirius hopefully.

"Dudley was adopted and his birth parents are drug and alcohol addicts and that's why Dudley is so messed up!" said James.

**and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"Awwww…" whined Sirius, "No blue hair…"

"I'M RELATED TO THIS WOMEN?" yelled James.

"James, if you're married to me and this is my sister, then she would be your sister-in-law," Lily explained as if talking to a dumb person.

"Oh… right..." James said.

Sirius scratched his head and continued reading.

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister,**

"Unfortunately," muttered Harry.

"What was that?" asked Remus.

"Nothing," he said hastily.

**but they hadn't met for several years: in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister** **because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband**

"WHAT?" yelled James.

**were as unDursleyish**

"Is that a word?" asked Ron.

"NO!" yelled James and Lily together, James mad and Lily just resigned. She knew Tuney had always wanted to be a witch, but she never thought this hate would last. She sighed and looked back up as Sirius continued to read

**as it was possible to be.**

Lily was close to tears. She no longer was upset about being close to Petunia, but the fact the Petunia was so full of bitterness. James wrapped an arm around her and glared at the book.

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street.**

"Probably that they are normal, as they know how to dress as muggles and they aren't stupid enough to dress in wizard wear." Remus scornfully said.

"Remus… you're talking to the book…" said Sirius slowly, scooting away from him.

**The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him.**

"You are a very caring uncle," said James sarcastically, still fuming on the inside. _Good-for-nothing… I'LL SHOW THEM GOOD FOR NOTHING! I'LL HEX THEM INTO THE NEXT CENTURY! But if I do that, the people of the next century would have to put up with him…hmm I'll have to plan this out with Sirius and Remus…maybe a visit on the full moon…just to scare them…_

"James…?" Lily asked, looking a bit concerned as he stared malevolently into the distance grinning evilly.

**This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"A CHILD LIKE WHAT EXACTLY?" screeched Lily.

"Mum, it's ok," Harry said gently, trying to calm her down.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

"HAH!" yelled James, startling everyone as they thought he was still brooding, "I WIN, SIRIUS, HE'S A BRAT!"

"No…" said Sirius, "You said he was going to be a git, not a brat. Plus babies do that all the time; scream when they are wrestled in to high chairs."

"Oh, he's a git alright," mutter Harry darkly. Hermione shushed him.

**None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window.**

"Owl post?" asked Ron.

"I suppose so," replied Ginny, "It's the most feasible idea I can think of."

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing cereal at the walls.**

"Do babies through cereal at walls?" demanded James.

"When they are having tantrums, yes," replied Lily.

**"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.  
>It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map.<strong>

"An animagus?" asked Ron.

"Probably. Or maybe just a strange cat," replied Lily.

"Cats that aren't animagus usually don't even look at maps unless to sit on them," Ginny told everyone.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen -then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight.**

**What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive** - **No, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.**

"Animagi can," Ron said unhelpfully.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," replied James.

"Hey!" protested Sirius," I'm Captain Obvious!"

"No Sirius," said James softly, as if talking to a stupid person, "You're Captain Oblivious."

"Oh yeah," replied Sirius stupidly. He paused a moment, then continued reading.

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove towards town, he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

"One minded person, eh?" said Ron.

"People usually only have one mind, Ronald," Hermione reminded him.

"My name is not Ronald!"

"But it says 'Ronald' on your birth certificate and on the door to your room," replied Hermione sweetly.

Ron humphed and fell silent.

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else.**

"WHAT?" yelled everyone.

"Oops…" said Sirius, who had read the sentence as, "But on the edge of town, he was driven out of his mind by something else."

Everyone glared at him until he started reading again.

**As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

"Cloaks are normal!" said Ron hotly.

"Not to muggles," Hermione whispered in his ear. Ron had the dignity to look embarrassed.

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the get-ups you saw on young people!**

**He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdoes**

"Humph."

**standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something ... yes, that would be it.**

"No imagination," said Remus, "What a boring man. Why are we reading about people who are clearly muggles?"

Nobody answered, but Remus wasn't really expecting an answer.

**The traffic moved on, and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings car park, his mind back on drills.**

"Really likes those drills, eh?" James said.

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning.**

**He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though the people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.**

"Why are wizards and witches being so careless today?" asked Lily in astonishment, "I mean, owl post in broad daylight, and dressing in wizard wear!"

"You'll see," said Harry softly to her.

**Most of them had never seen an owl even at night time. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled a five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.**

"Sure likes shouting."

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun**

"Or twelve," mutter Harry.

Ron snorted.

**from the baker's opposite.**

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This lot was whispering excitedly too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard -"**

"What about me?" asked James worriedly.

"It could be about me," Lily reminded him.

"What about the Potters, then?" James corrected himself.

**"- yes, their son, Harry - "**

"What about Harry?" demanded Lily.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead.**

"YAY! He's dead!" cheered Sirius and James.

"I wish," mutter all the people from the future.

Remus, who didn't hear them, said, "It's a figure of speech. He's not really dead."

"Awwwww…" said James and Sirius.

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought**

"OMG HE CAN THINK!"

"Padfoot please tell me you did not just say 'OMG'"

"I could tell you, Prongs, but then I would be lying."

**better of it.**

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking...** **No, he was being stupid.**

"Isn't he always stupid?" asked Sirius.

"I think he is, Paddy," replied Remus.

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name.**

"Oh yes it is. I don't know anyone else names Potter."

**He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry.**

"Well I'm sure you're wrong!" snapped Sirius.

"Sirius, you're also talking to the book," said Lily worriedly.

**Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey.**

"EWWWWWWW!" screeched Lily.

"I'm glad I'm not called Harvey. It's is such a stupid name," Harry told her.

**Or Harold.**

"_Very_caring uncle you have, Harry." Remus told him.

"I'm glad he never saw Harry before. He might have corrupted him." Lily replied.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that...**

"LIKE WHAT?" yelled James.

"It's ok. She's been cold toward me since I got my Hogwarts letter. I think she's jealous of me, since she sent a letter to Dumbledore asking to go to Hogwarts," Lily told him softly.

James gaped at her.

**but all the same, those people in cloaks...**

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon, and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

**"Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell.**

"That must have hurt."

"What, running into Dursley and falling down, or Dursley saying 'sorry'?"

"Both, Paddy, both."

**It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realised that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice**

"Flitwick? He has a squeaky voice," asked James.

"It could be Prongs, it could be."

**that made passer-bys stare: "Don't be sorry my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last!**

Silence. Sirius shakily began reading again.

**Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating this happy, happy day!"**

"You-Know-Who is-is _gone?_" asked James.

"But-but how could he be gone?"

"Is he dead?"

"No. I wish he was," mutter Harry under his breath. Luckily, only Hermione heard him, and kicked him.

"Idiots," Lily said, startling everyone, "Calling a muggle a 'muggle' in his face."

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle**

"How did his arms fit around it?" joked Sirius, trying, and failing, to remove the tension in the air.

**and walked off.**

**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was.**

**He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

Remus snorted.

**As he pulled into the driveway at number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't improve his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

"I bet it's McGonagall!" said James, relieving some of the tension.

"You're on! How much?" asked Sirius.

"Hm… 5 galleons!"

**"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.**

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

"Hah! It's definitely McGonagall!"

**Was this normal cat behaviour, Mr. Dursley wondered?**

"No."

**Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learnt a new word (Shan't).**

"That's wonderful."

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living-room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern."**

**The news reader allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

**"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire and Dundee**

"Dundee?" snorted James.

"Shush!" Lily quieted James.

**have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain that I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars!**

**Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early**-

"No, it's just the defeat of Voldemort, a bit better than Bonfire Night." Remus said.

**It's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...Mrs. Dursley came into the living-room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

**As he expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

"NOT NICE PETUNIA! DIDN'T MUM TELL YOU THAT PRETENDING PEOPLE DON'T EXIST IT NOT POLITE?" yelled Lily, on the verge of tears again. Her patience about how biter her sister had become was wearing thin, and it was starting to show. James soothed her, though inside he was just as mad.

**"No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

**"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."**

**"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought... maybe ... it was something to do with ... you know ... her lot."**

"Her lot?" yelled James, letting his anger out and abandoning the picture of a level-headed girlfriend-soother.

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name 'Potter'.**

**He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son - he'd be about Dudley's age now wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

**"What's his name again? Howard isn't it?"**

**"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

Lily snorted "How can it be nasty and common if you liked the name Harry as a child?"

**Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it was waiting for something.**

**Was he imagining things?**

"I though he said he didn't approve of imagination."

**Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did ... if it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind ... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on. He yawned and turned over. It couldn't affect them …**

**How very wrong he was.**

"Oh great. Foreshadowing. We have something to do with this lot, don't we?" Lily asked Harry bitterly.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed in the next street, nor when the two owls swooped overhead**.

**In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground.**

"IT'S DUMBLYDORE!" yelled Sirius.

"How do you know? It could be any wizard," Lily told him.

**The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had been seen in Privet Drive. He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt.**

**He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

"HAH! TOLD YOU! NANANANANA!" said Sirius, dropping the book. He stood up, jumped onto the chair in which he was sitting upon, putting his hand on his nose and wiggling his fingers, and sticking out his tongue at Lily.

Lily sighed, picked up the book, and said, "So immature." She began reading.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

**He had found what he was looking for in his inside pocket.**

**It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

"THAT IS SO COOL!" yelled James.

Ron gave a little smirk, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the Deluminator.

"Yes, yes it is cool, wouldn't you agree?" Ron started laughing as Remus, Sirius and James all leant in to get a closer look.

"OMG WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?" demanded Sirius.

"HE SAID 'OMG' AGAIN! REMUS, GET THE TAPE!" screamed James, jumping on Sirius. Remus sat there watching them for a little while, then with a small _pop!_ a roll of duct tape appeared in his hands.

James and Sirius wrestled, rolling around the room. Harry watched them and then in the spirit of the moment shrugged his shoulders and jumped into the fray.

"Harry!" yelled Ron. He putted the Deluminator in his pocket and leaped in. With Harry, James, and Ron against Sirius, they managed to wrestle him down, pinning down his arms and legs. Remus ripped off a bit of tape and stuck the tape firmly over Sirius's mouth.

"You could have just silenced him." Hermione remarked. Lily and Ginny nodded. The boys looked at each other, the the girls and shrugged. They then proceeded to pull out their wands, and tie Sirius up magically. James picked up the book and started reading as if nothing happened.

**He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left in the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him.**

**If anyone looked out of their window now, even the beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street towards number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat.**

**He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

"HAH! I'M RIGHT SIRIUS GIVE ME THE MONEY!" yelled James.

The tied up Sirius could only roll his eyes and struggled against the bonds that held him. James leaned down, put one hand in Sirius's pocket, and pulled out 5 golden coins. He examined the coins, then put them into his pocket.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

**"How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

**"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

**"You'd be stiff too if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.**

**"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."**

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

**"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls ... shooting stars ... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle.**

"Who's Dedalus Diggle?" asked James.

Remus pulled out a little black book, flipped a few pages muttering "Diggle, Diggle…" then said "AHA! He is 5'7", Hufflepuff, 3 years above us, brown hair, green eyes, got E's on his Potions and Herbology OWLS, a T on his History of Magic OWLS, and A's on everything else. No O's. He currently works at the Leaky Caldron." He closed his book.

Lily, Hermione, Ron and Harry goggled at him. "Do you keep records on _everyone_?" asked Lily.

"Of this time."

James started reading again.

**He never had much sense."**

**"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

"MMMMM! MMHMHM! MHMHMHM!" Sirius yelled, or tried to yell.

"AHHH!" James fell off his couch. "When did you get here?" he asked Sirius, who was currently sitting on the floor next to a pile of ropes.

"Mmm," replied Sirius.

"Would you like me to take off that piece of duct tape on your mouth?" asked James sweetly.

"MMMMM!" exclaimed Sirius, nodding vigorously. James leaned over and _ripped_the piece of tape off. Sirius howled, jumping about the room screaming, "OWWWWWWWWW!"

Lily silenced him and tied him up again.

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes swapping rumors."**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on: "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"**

**"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a sherbet lemon?"**

"A what?" asked James.

"A lemon flavored hard candy," replied Hermione, glancing at Ron and Harry, who were desperately trying to contain laughter.

**"A what?"**

"Dumbles stole my words!" complained James.

Lily reached over and took the book out of James's hands.

"**A sherbet lemon. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."**

Ron burst out laughing at that. The past peoples looked at him oddly. Ron turned red and muttered an apology.

**"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for sherbet lemons.**

"I should think not," exclaimed Hermione.

**"As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"**

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like your self can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort."**

Lily flinched, but no one else did.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was un-sticking two sherbet lemons, seemed not to notice.**

**"It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's**

Lily flinched again.

**name."**

**"I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half-exasperated, half-admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the one You-Know - oh, all right, Voldemort**

Flinch.

**-** **was frightened of."**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort**

Flinch.

"Alright, Lily, why do you flinch? You aren't afraid to use the name!"

"Habit, I guess. I'll try to stop flinching."

**had powers I will never have."**

**"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."**

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

"Urg. Too much-" started James.

"-information," finished Remus.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now.**

**It was plain that whatever 'everyone' was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another sherbet lemon and did not answer.**

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that**

Lily, who had read a little ahead, gasped and started to cry. "Lily flower, what's the matter?" asked James. Lily simply pointed to the book. James picked up the book and continued reading.

**Lily and James Potter**

"You can't deny that you are married to James now, Lily," Remus teased, but looked a little concerned.

**are - are - that they're - dead.**

James dropped the book and put his arms around Lily. Remus looked at Harry, willing it not to be true. Harry nodded sadly. Ginny hugged him.

When Lily got under control, she said, "Why did you say that I was the best mother? You never even knew me."

"Because, Mum, you gave up your life so I could live mine," Harry responded quietly. After five minutes of silence, Sirius (who had wiggled out of the ropes and desilenced himself) picked up the book and resumed reading.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

**"Lily and James ... I can't believe it ... I didn't want to believe it ... Oh, Albus ..."**

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know ... I know ..." he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.**

"YOU BETTER NOT HAVE KILLED MY SON, MOLDYWARTS!" screamed Lily.

"Hah. Moldywarts. That's good," said Sirius weakly.

"Lily, he can't have, one, if he died now, the book would be over, two, he's sitting right here, and three, um, I don't have a three." James told her.

Lily glared at him until he told Sirius to start reading again.

**"But - he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone."**

James and Lily looked proud that their one year old son could defeat Voldemort, but also sad that they had to give up their lives first.

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done ... all the people he's killed ... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding ...of all the things to stop him ... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

**"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

"Oh you knew alright. Took you a few years, but you got it in the end," whispered Ron to the future people.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took out a watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"**

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle.**

"NO! NONONONO!" screamed all the past people.

"Harry, please tell me its not true!" Lily begged Harry.

"Sirius is going to be godfather! He'll take care of Harry! I'll- I'll write it into my will! And if Sirius can't take him, I'll- I'll have Moony take care of Harry, and Wormy take care of him when Moony is transformed!" James yelled. Everyone froze and looked at Lily.

Lily tossed her hair and said, "You think I haven't noticed? Of course I know he's a werewolf. He's gone once every month, and it just so happens that it falls on the day of the full moon every time." She looked at James, "I understand why you would call Remus 'Moony', but what's with the other nicknames?"

James said, "Me, Sirius, and Peter are Animagi. I'm a stag, hence Prongs. Sirius is a dog, hence Padfoot. Peter is a rat, hence Wormtail."

Lily nodded, took the book, and continued reading.

**They're the only family he has left now."**

**You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets.**

"GIT!" yelled James.

"No, BRAT!" yelled Sirius back.

**Harry Potter come and live here!"**

**"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."**

"A letter? You think you can explain everything in a letter? 'Dear Dursley's, there is a manic in the wizarding world called Voldemort. He has killed your sister, Lily, and her husband, James, and tried to kill your nephew, Harry, but failed. He might come back and try to kill Harry again and maybe you too. Please take care of Harry. Sincerely, Dumbledore.' Yea, that will work great!" said Lily, her voice full of sarcasm.

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter?**

"You think like Minnie. Scary," Sirius said, looking at Lily.

**These people will never understand him!**

"You got that right."

**He'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"**

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course.**

Sirius and James's mouths hung in a big 'o'. "Minnie backed down!"

**But how is the boy getting here Dumbledore?"**

**She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

"Ew."

**"Hagrid's bringing him."**

**You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

**"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

"So would I!" exclaimed everyone.

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"**

"It was a purple dinosaur, coming to eat you all!"

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorbike fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"OMG I WANT ONE!" Sirius screamed.

James looked wearily at Remus. Remus waved his wand at Sirius.

Sirius was enclosed in a clear box. "He can breathe and hear us, but we can't hear him, and he can't get out," explained Remus.

**If the motorbike was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.**

"Hagrid!" yelled James.

**In his vast muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

"Harry!" yelled Ginny.

**"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorbike?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorbike as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it me."**

Sirius started banging on the walls of his clear prison, looking excited. "The motorbike is mine!" he mouthed. Everyone ignored him, though Harry looked quite amused at seeing his "dogfather" so alive. He always had a haunted look in his eyes from Azkaban. It was also funny to see him trapped in a box.

**I've got him, sir."**

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we were flyin' over Bristol."**

"Awww…" cooed Ginny and Lily. Ron made a gagging noise. Ginny whipped out her wand, and sent him to the now extended clear box with Sirius.

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

Harry fingered his scar.

**"Is that where - ?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground.**

"Strange…"

**Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."**

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned towards the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I - could I say goodbye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid.**

**He bent his great shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss.** **Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

"I take offense to that comment!" Sirius said within his prison. Ron laughed. No one else heard them.

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall. "You'll wake the Muggles!"**

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead –**

Lily started to sniff.

**an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"**

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep,**

"YOU LEAVE MY BABY ON A DOORSTEP!" screeched Lily.

**took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

"Minnie cares about you Harry! So does Dumbledore!" said James, awed. A chess board appeared inside of the clear prison. Sirius and Ron started playing chess.

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

**Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice. "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself on to the motorbike and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply**.

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street.**

**He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.  
>"Good luck, Harry," he murmured.<strong>

"I needed it," Harry muttered. As Ginny rubbed his back he added "Not that it helped much."

**He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak he was gone.**

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley. He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!"**

"That's the end." Lily said.

They sat quietly for a while. James took the book and said, "I'll read next."

Ok, so the amount of alerts and favorites in the past two(?) three(?) days have been absolutely incredible! You all are amazing. Now I will say I am a full-time college student with a part-time job. I know some authors who update everyday. I wish I could but I can't. I don't have a definite update schedule, but I'll try my hardest to do a chapter a week, but there are no guarantees! This was the last chapter written by Kirby1234, so from here on out it's all my writing *sweat drops* No pressure right? Anyways I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you soon.

~Jasmine Indigo Sappihhra~


	3. Chapter 2 The Vanishing Glass

They sat quietly for a while. James took the book and said, "I'll read next."

"**The Vanishing Glass,**" he read.

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.** **The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. **

Remus looked up from his hands (he had been sitting that way for quite some time). Maybe Sirius or someone had taken Harry away. Hope returned to his eyes.

**Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets — but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

The hope died in Remus' eyes. No one had gotten Harry? What was going on? Was he dead? Was Sirius? What about Peter?

Lily broke through Remus' reverie and asked Harry, "Harry, do you know where Sirius, Remus, and Peter were? They should have gotten you out of the house by now." She paused. "Let me rephrase that, they _**better**_ have gotten you out of that house." Harry sighed. He wanted to tell his mother something other than "you'll see". He knew from experience that it got annoying, and he dealt with Dumbledore. He looked at Hermione, silently pleading his case.

Hermione was conflicted. She knew Harry wanted to tell his parents, dogfather and honorary uncle something other than vague messages. But how would they handle the other information? What would they say if she told them Sirius was in Azkaban? If they told them that, wouldn't they have to tell them that he broke out third year? Then that would ruin the suspense of the story. Should they answer their questions or should they wait and preserve the timeline. Finally she gave her nod of consent.

Harry smiled. He could tell his parents some things that happened. Just as he was about to open his mouth, there was a flash of light. Out stepped Neville and Luna holding the hands of some small…thing. Ginny reacted before Harry of Hermione could say anything.

"Neville! Luna! And Teddy? Oh, it's great to see all of you. Wait a minute, what are you doing here?" Ginny talked as fast as Hermione did on the train that fateful September 1st.

"Well, we came by to see you guys and saw the note that Hermione left and we decided to join you guys. We wanna know about Harry's life too." Neville answered indicating himself and Luna

"Teddy came because 'Dromeda dropped him off at the same time as we were about to leave. She said something about how if you were going to be here then you could babysit and she can take a vacation." Neville smiled. After the war, all six of the friends had all become quite attached to Teddy, now one year old.

"Don't you think we should introduce ourselves? At this rate they're going to believe that The Winkydinks have gotten to us. They're the bad-mannered creatures, you know." Luna decided to inform the entire group.

From the glass enclosure Ron and Sirius finally looked up from their chess game. Ron saw Neville and Luna and waved. Sirius waved as well. You could see him looking at Ron mouthing "Who are these people?" Ron laughed and said "They're my friends Neville and Luna." Sirius then pointed to the box.

"Oh, it seems as if they want to be out of the box. I guess we should let them out." Luna said as she waved her wand, thus freeing our two Chatty Cathys. While everyone else groaned, Ron and Sirius sprang out of their prison.

"Thanks Luna. I can't believe my own _**sister**_," at this Ron shot Ginny a glare, but she was too busy talking with Neville and fawning over Teddy "would put me in a glass box, and what's worse, I shared it with this git" he jabbed his hand toward Sirius, who like the rest of the people from the past were standing there confused. "I mean all he did was talk about motorwhatsits He didn't even know what they were ten minutes ago! And then he wanted to play chess! I mean Merlin, I don't mind a game of chess, but we brought them here to learn about Harry, not play chess. Though I will say he's probably the most serious opponent I've had in a while." Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna all chuckled. It was well known that anytime Ron mentioned the word chess, the room was empty before he could finish the word.

"Um, care to enlighten us on who these people are?" James broke in before the Gryffindor Six (and Teddy) could get into a long drawn out conversation

"Oh, right sorry. This is Neville," at this Harry pointed and Neville waved "Luna," Luna was humming and absentmindedly waved "and this little guy is Teddy." At this Harry gestured to the one year old, now in Ginny's arms.

Lily looked at Teddy and exclaimed "He's so adorable!" the same time that Luna asked Sirius "Are you Stubby Boardman?"

Sirius blinked. As he opened his mouth, Harry quickly intervened.

"Luna, I can vouch when I say that he is _**not**_ Stubby Boardman. Sirius cannot sing to save his life. He sounds better than mermaids singing above ground, and that's saying something." Sirius pouted and Remus and James clutched their sides from laughing so hard as they rolled on the ground. Lily was too busy cooing over Teddy to laugh at Harry's jibe. Hermione was leaning on Ron for support who was on his knees laughing. Neville was lucky as he collapsed into a chair as he wiped tears out of his eyes. Ginny was clearly amused, but as she was holding Teddy as Lily cooed she clearly could not laugh too much. She smiled. It was good to see Harry smiling and laughing with his family. His honest-to-goodness family. Her family was like his second family, but there would always be this gap of the first family he lost. There was his parents, his dogfather, and honorary uncle. At home, Harry never seemed that carefree, that _light_. Yes this decision to change the future was the right one. Ginny could _feel_ it.

As soon as everyone could breathe, they resumed reading. Hermione quickly filled Neville and Luna in on what had happened in the first chapter, and both were rather upset at their former headmaster for leaving Harry there. They weren't going to touch the fact that he was left on a doorstep. The group forgot who was reading and Neville volunteered to read.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

"**Up! Get up! Now!"**

"Mate, you know that's a horrible way to be woken up right?"

"Yea Ron, I'm quite aware." Harry said as he rolled his eyes

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.**

"**Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

"Wait, you can remember that far back?" Moony was in disbelief

"But Moony, that just proves that Harry has Lily's memory. Remember that one time James mwhaph-" James quickly covered Sirius' mouth. Sometimes the idiot just said too much.

"If you're finished." Neville quirked his eyebrow These three were a riot, but they were there to change the future.

"Ignore them Neville, they're surrounded by Blubberdings. They cause you to act very silly." Luna interjected.

"If that's the case Luna, they've been surrounded by Blubberdings for years. I don't know if they'll ever grow up. How Lily marries James I'll never know." Moony sighed He loved his friends, really he did but he wanted to know more about the future than something stupid James did three years ago.

In the meantime, Neville decided to ignore James and Sirius and go on with the reading.

**His aunt was back outside the door.**

"**Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

"**Nearly," said Harry.**

"**Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

"Wait a minute, you cook?" Lily asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Um, yes?" Harry answered

"How long?" Hermione asked

"How long what 'Mione?" Ron asked, because Ron is, well Ron and he was a little slow on the uptake.

"She's asking how long Harry has had to cook for his family, you idiot." Ginny decided to clue her brother in.

"Yea mate how long. Every time you're over at the house, you always volunteer to help. Is it because of them?" By this time, all other activity in the Room of Requirement had stopped. The tension was mounting in the air.

Harry gulped. He really didn't want to answer that question. He knew they would all get angry and want to storm Number 4 Privet Drive. Honestly, as much as he wanted the Dursley's to reap what they've sown…..actually Harry didn't really know why he was stalling.

"Harry Potter! Tell me how long you've been cooking right now!" Lily was standing and her eyes were slits now. Everyone had backed away because she radiated danger.

"Since I was four," Harry managed to squeak out. Merlin, his mum was scary!

As Harry expected, there was an instant uproar.

"BLOODY HELL MATE, are you kidding me?" it was a mark of how upset Hermione was when she didn't reprimand Ron for his language.

"WHAT THE F-"

"Finish that sentence Sirius and you die."

"Yes Lily."

"Mr. Moony, I believe we have somewhere to visit on the next full moon, don't you?"

"I agree Mr. Prongs. What say you Mr. Padfoot?"

"Let's do it Mr. Moony."

Ginny turned to Harry.

"Harry, why didn't you _tell_ anybody? Somebody could have helped you." Harry laughed darkly. By that time, everyone looked over to Harry and Ginny, anticipating Harry's answer.

"Growing up, I was always made out to be a liar. If I had better grades than Dudley it was because I kept Dudley up all night. If I came in from recess it was because I was clumsy, not because Dudley got the entire class to gang up on me. I'm sure some teachers noticed, but the Dursley's had influential friends so nothing happened. Once, a teacher reported all the cuts and scrapes I was getting. Nothing happened. It really is no big deal. By that time, I was used to it so I didn't bother to tell anybody. Once, I tried to tell Dum-" Harry stopped. He had said more than he wanted to.

"Wait a minute. Are you saying Dumbledore _knew_ about this?" Lily's eyes were almost closed, they were so narrow.

"I'll answer your questions later. Honestly can't we just get back to reading? Please?" Harry was practically begging. He really didn't want to reveal his past with the Dursley's, but everyone was so insistent. Merlin, this was proving to be an interesting day.

Everyone decided to follow Harry's wishes and took their seats. Neville began again.

**Harry groaned.**

"**What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

"**Nothing, nothing…"**

**Dudley's birthday — how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider**

Ron shivered. Sirius noticed and was about to ask him…ok tease him about it but one look from Hermione was enough to stop him. Merlin she was scary.

**off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, **

"Umm mate? Why would you be used to," shiver "spiders?"

Harry sighed. He really hoped the book wasn't going to go over that. Everyone was going to flip out. He may as well get it over with.

"Ron the book will explain in a second." Harry sat there, waiting for the impending explosion.

**because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

"WHAT THE F-"

"JAMES!"

"What Lily? I think I'm entitled to curse because I just found out our son will sleep IN A CUPBOARD UNDER THE STAIRS!"

"James I am pissed too but we can't do anything. We have to change the future. But we can't do that if we freak out at every little detail. But I'm letting you know, once we get out of here, I'm killing Petunia myself." James didn't doubt Lily for one minute. She looked like an avenging angel, beautiful and deadly. It might not be so bad once they get out of the room.

Remus was trying very hard to keep the wolf out of his eyes, but wasn't really succeeding. Harry noticed and began to think quick. He grabbed Teddy out of Ginny's grasp and put him into Remus' hands. Remus blinked. He looked at Teddy who smiled that adorable baby smile. Remus calmed down and smiled back. He really was a cute kid.

Meanwhile Sirius was trying to open the non-existent door.

"LET ME OUT, I'LL KILL THEM! AND DUMBLEDORE WHILE I'M AT IT! WHAT WAS HE THINKING! LET ME OUT!" By that time Sirius had slid down the wall and was sitting there, tears pouring down his cheeks. He had failed his pup. He failed to save Lily and James. What kind of friend was he? He needed to take care of his pup, but he wasn't there. What was going on. So far Sirius wasn't liking the future one bit. He wasn't sure if he wanted to read anymore. It didn't seem worth it if he was going to hear all about his failures. That's all he was, a failure. He should jump off the astronomy tower. Maybe that will make the future brighter.

" MATE WHAT THE HELL? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?" Ron was up and pacing. His _brother_ had had to live in a cupboard under the stairs. The world was freakin' messed up.

"Is that why you were the smallest person in our year Harry? How did someone not notice?" Hermione was trying to calm herself and Ron down at the same time. It wasn't working to well. Their brother, the one person they _thought_ they knew the best, was turning out to be a person they didn't know at all. He lived in a _cupboard_ for Merlin's sake. That is no way to treat anyone. Oh, the Dursley's were getting the business end of her wand and they were not going to like it one bit.

"Harry?"

"Yes Ginny?"

"How long?"

"How long what Ginny?"

"How long did you sleep in the cupboard?" Harry knew Ginny and he knew this was not a good sign. Ginny was about to explode. Merlin, this is just what he needed. The only calm one around him right now was Remus and that was because he was entertaining Teddy. Good thing too, he didn't feel like dealing with a werewolf on top of his friends and his parents. Harry groaned. Sirius looked like he was ready to throw himself off the astronomy tower. He couldn't handle too much more but he knew it was only going to get worse. Much worse.

"Answer the question Harry." This time it wasn't Ginny but Luna. He should have known. Luna can be quite intimidating when she wants to, and it seems like this was one of those times. Her voice held none of its usual warmth and dreaminess. It sounded cold, harsh and unnatural coming from Luna. Neville was ready to spit fire. What was Dumbledore thinking when he put Harry there? Oh the portrait was going to hear it when they got back to their time. Neville grinned evilly. He couldn't wait.

Harry knew there was no more evading the question. "As long as I could remember I've been in the cupboard. Whenever we had to draw pictures of our room, the Dursley's threatened me to draw the picture of the spare bedroom. No one ever knew, until now. I didn't want anyone to know, so I didn't say anything. Can we please just move on. Please?"

"Um Harry? I don't think we can move on until we do something about Sirius….he looks like hell."

"Yea, you're right Ron. I think I'll grab Remus and my dad to come with me and talk to Sirius."

"You want us to come with you?"

"No thanks Hermione, I think I'll be ok." Harry turned to the people from the past.

"Dad? Sirius? Remus? Can I talk to you privately?" Harry asked as he gestured to the room that had just appeared to the left of everyone. Remus and James nodded, and stood up. Remus handed Teddy to Harry and together James and Remus pulled Sirius into the room.

After putting all the necessary eavesdropping prevention spells, Harry turned to the group.

"I know that was tough for all of you all to read, but I'm fine. See? Still standing. A little on the scrawny side, but I figure it's because of my dad." At this a ghost of a grin appeared on Remus' face.

"What I'm about to tell you is just for your benefit Sirius. You had a reason for not taking me away. You were alive, but unable to take me away. Dumbledore thought it was for the best." _And_ _it_ _probably_ _made_ _me_ _worse_ _off_. Harry thought.

"Remus you were alive as well but no one wanted you to take me because of you furry little problem, which is truly a stupid reason but oh well."

During all of this Sirius had not said anything, nor had he moved. Voices of Lily and James were floating through his head taunting him on the fact that he was a failure. Harry could see he was not getting through to Sirius.

"Padfoot listen to me. It was not your fault! You'll learn the reason why you weren't there in my third year, but please remember the fact that this hasn't happened yet and you have the chance to change it." Sirius' mind registered the word change. Harry was right, there was a chance to change everything. Sirius wouldn't be a failure, not if he could help it.

"Harry?" Sirius asked finally breaking the silence. His throat was tight from his tears.

"Yes Padfoot?"

"When you finally meet me, I'm the best right?" Harry's throat tightened

"Yes Padfoot, you were the best." At this, Sirius finally cheered up. He was better than Moony!

"But," Harry interjected "Moony was the best person to go to when it came to homework help. Sirius you were the best for mischief. Moony never wanted to help." Sirius' grin never faltered.

"You pranked Prongslet? Oh, I'm so proud!" Sirius had jumped up and grabbed Harry and pulled him into a tight hug. James walked over and grabbed Teddy out of Harry's grasp. Teddy looked up at James, grinned and changed his eyes from blue to James' hazel.

"Whoa!" James almost dropped Teddy.

"What's up Prongs? Remus said as he looked on to Sirius still choking Harry.

"Teddy's eyes changed! I swear his eyes were blue a moment ago!"

"Oh, I forgot to mention Teddy's a Metamorphmagus. He likes to change his appearance randomly. You get used to it." Harry said rubbing his neck, which he finally pulled out from Sirius' grasp.

"Oh, that explains a lot. Is he yours?" James ask, now tickling Teddy.

"No, Teddy's my godson." Harry answered, dodging an oddly still-sentimental Sirius.

"We should probably get back to the reading." Remus said even as he pondered the question as to Teddy's parentage.

"Yes we probably should. By the way Moony, don't stress yourself out, all will be revealed in time." Harry grinned cheekily and walked off to join the others.

'How did he know what he was thinking about?' Remus thought as he walked out of the room handing Teddy off to Sirius, who had finally calmed down. Merlin, Sirius has as many mood swings as a teenage girl.

"I'm good like that Moony. That's how." Harry grinned as Remus took his seat. Remus was struck dumb. Was Harry a Legilimens?

"Nope," Harry said as he popped the 'p'

"Nope what cub?"

"I'm not a Legilimens Remus. I'm just really good at reading your face." By that time Harry was clutching his sides which were aching from laughter. Remus' face was too priceless.

"If we could get back to the reading please? We really do need to move on." Hermione said amusement in her voice, taking away the serious meaning of the words. It was good to see Harry joking around with the people he loved most. Neville cleared his throat and began again.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.**

"Wow, he's more spoiled than Reg." Sirius said as he bounced Teddy on his knee.

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise — unless of course it involved punching somebody.**

"If it's you so help me-" Neville continued above James' rant

**Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry, **

Everyone glared at the book.

**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast**.

"Thank heavens for small favors." Lily sighed, as she leaned back into her chair. This book was not very peaceful

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.**

Remus and Sirius started growling. It probably _was_ because Harry was stuck in a cupboard.

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobby knees, black hair,**

"The traits of Potter men." James said as he stuck his chest out, until Lily hit him and he deflated.

**and bright green eyes.**

"The prettiest eyes on the planet," James and Ginny sighed. When everyone looked at them, they blushed as did Harry and Lily.

"Can we just, er go on with the reading?" Harry asked. It was like being back at home with all those people staring.

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

"Hold on Harry," Neville said interrupting himself "You _liked_ your scar?"

"Well yeah. It was the only thing that made me special." Harry said really hating the fact everyone was staring at him. Seeing Harry was uncomfortable, Neville began reading again.

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.**

"**In the car crash when your parents died," she had said.**

"What the F-"

"Sirius!"

"Sorry Lily."

"**And don't ask questions."**

"What the H-"

"Remus!"

"Oh, right. Sorry Lily"

**Don't ask questions — that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

"**Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

"It won't work." James sang as Harry tried to fatten his hair in vain.

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way — all over the place.**

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother.**

Growls could be heard throughout the room, and Neville seemed to become a little scared.

**Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head.**

**Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel — **

"How does he look like an angel? More like a pig in a wig. I think your eyesight has gotten poor Petunia." Lily said, holding back a laugh that the others did not try to contain. Neville having read ahead was laughing louder than anyone else. Finally he continued.

**Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

Lily blinked.

"Well, at least he has something of mine besides my eyes. Imagine Harry with this git's brains." She laughed as everyone else looked at James. He had been nodding his head to everything Lily said

"Absolutely right Lil- Hey!" Neville continued before James could go on.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

"**Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."**

"Yeah, Reg is definitely not that spoiled."

"Mate, I don't think _Malfoy_ is that spoiled, and that's saying something."

"Goes to show what my aunt and uncle will do for Dudley."

"**Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy."**

"**All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"How old was he when he turned the table over?" Hermione asked, just out of curiosity

"Um the first time I think he was three. The most recent time he turned the table over was three days prior." Taking advantage of everyone's speechlessness, Neville began to read again.

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?"**

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty… thirty…"**

"Merlin, he can't even count! My nephew is hopeless."

"Dad, I could have told you that."

"**Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

"**Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled.**

"**Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

"And that whale encourages that? Merlin, it's official Lily we're completely cutting ourselves off from your sister."

"I wouldn't have expected anything less James."

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.**

"What are-"

"We'll tell you later Sirius."

"Okay Hermione."

**He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

"**Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him."**

**She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

"He has a name Petunia." Lily rolled her eyes Merlin she would be lucky if she didn't kill her sister.

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

"Eeww. I hate cats!"

"We know Padfoot, now shut up."

"**Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

"Harry!"

"Sorry mum, sorry Gin."

"**We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

"**Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

"The feeling is mutual." Harry said as he shuddered.

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there — or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

Growls were heard around the room.

"**What about what's-her-name, your friend — Yvonne?"**

"**On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

"**You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

"Harry, you know that's not going to happen."

"Yes mum considering I've already lived through this, I do know."

"Shut up Harry."

"Yes mum."

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

"**And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

"**I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

"Your father would." Remus said chuckling

"No I wouldn—wait yes I would."

"**I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "… and leave him in the car…"**

"**That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone…"**

"That's so wrong. They care more about their car thing than they do their own nephew."

"I agree Moony."

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

"**Dinky Duddydums,**

Neville paused and waited. Sure enough, the laughter began with Sirius. After that, everyone was on the floor clutching their sides. It didn't help that once they stopped laughing Teddy started giggling for no reason at all. They delayed then for a good twenty minutes. Finally Neville could breathe enough to continue reading.

**don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

"**I… don't… want… him… t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

**Just then, the doorbell rang — "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother.**

**Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

"Of course he did. He didn't want his best friend to see him 'crying'." Sirius said as he put crying into air quotes.

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

"**I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy — any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

"Merlin help him if he did." James said narrowing his eyes. The Dursley's stunted his son's growth, and there was going to be hell to pay.

"**I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly…"**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

"Oh good, we get to hear about pup's accidental magic!"

"Sirius, it's time for Teddy's nap so put him in this crib for me okay?"

"Sure thing Harry."

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses.**

**Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off.**

"Score for the Potter hair!" James said jumping out of his seat

"James if you don't shut up and sit down I will put you in a glass box." James shut up quickly.

**He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

Frowns were on every face in the room.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls).**"

Everyone tried not to be sick at that description. It _sounded_ like a vile combination, let alone to be made to _wear_ it.

**The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry.**

**Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

"Good one pup. You got out of wearing that icky sweater and you didn't get punished!"

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney.**

Silence.

"You Apperated?"

"Um, to be honest Gin I _still_ don't know."

"You know, Apperating as part of your accidental magic is impressive. I've never heard anybody being able to do that."

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trashcans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.**

"Padfoot?"

"Yea Prongs?"

"We gotta-" James stopped midsentence because of the glare Lily was giving him. When Lily looked the other way James mouthed, _We gotta teach him how to lie._

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

"Harry be nice."

"Yes mum."

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.**

"… **roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

"**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."**

"Bad move pup. They're going to think you're crazy."

"It didn't matter Sirius."

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

"MINE DOES!"

"Sirius sit down! You're going to wake up Teddy!"

"Sorry Ginny."

"You better be. Now shut up or I'm going to put you back in the glass box."

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

"**I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."**

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

"No. James, you and Sirius are **not** watching cartoons. _Ever_.

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop.**

"Those are actually pretty good." Luna said, in typical Luna fashion

**It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

"Aww cub don't insult the gorilla, what did it ever do to you?"

"Sorry Moony" Harry said laughing

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him.**

"They better not, or they're getting the business end of my wand." Lily growled

**They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

"Mate, do you jinx _everything_?"

"I try not to Ron, but you know it doesn't go that way."

"Yeah. Yeah I know."

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can — but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.**

"**Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

"**Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

"**This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

"Did he ever stop to think that the snake didn't want to look at him? I mean he sounds like he looks pretty ugly."

"Sirius, that might be the most insightful thing you've ever said."

"Thanks Moony." Sirius said as he pouted

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

"Hey look! It likes Harry, even if he is a scrawny git."

"Padfoot!"

"Sorry pup, it's true. Even if t=you are talking to a snake." Sirius added as an afterthought.

Harry paled. What were they going to say once they found out he was a parselmouth?

**It winked.**

"Harry, snakes don't wink."

"I know Moony."

"So what's going on?"

"Ummm you'll find out?"

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

"Harry why are you winking at snakes?"

"No reason dad."

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:**

"**I get that all the time."**

"**I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

"Wait, what?"

"It said '_The_ _snake_ _nodded_—"

"I know what it said Neville, I meant what does that mean? My son is a parselmouth? What in the world? We're not even related to Slytherin, well maybe by marriage, but that's beside the point! My son's a parselmouth!"

"James! Sit your butt down this instant! It doesn't matter if our son is a parselmouth because we love him just the same. We all know that it isn't what we have that makes us good or evil but how we act. Moony isn't evil, is he?"

"Well no but—"

"Then Harry is no different. Moony can't help being a werewolf, but he is. Harry can't help being a parselmouth either. So shut up, sit down and grow up!" James was speechless. He never really thought about things that way. He knew Moony wasn't dark or evil (like he always said he was) but it took a lot for him to think of being a parselmouth as the same like Moony being a werewolf. Seeing the rest of the room on pins and needles, Jams decided to say something.

"Harry, I'm sorry I overreacted. You being a parselmouth is like Moony being a werewolf. Neither of you can help it. I can see that you're not evil, so I'm going to work towards looking at all things from a different perspective." Harry couldn't say anything, he just nodded.

"**Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

"**Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?"**

"Learn to read son."

"Hey in my defense I was only ten."

"That's really not much of an excuse."

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not."

"Is to."

"Is not."

"Is to."

"Is not."

"Is to."

"Is no—"

"Boys! Shut up!"

"Yes mum."

"Yes Lily."

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

"Harry, that give penguins a poor image."

"Sorry 'Mione."

"**Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor.**

"I cannot hurt my sister, I cannot hurt my sister, I cannot hurt my sister—"

"Lils, you know you could if you wanted to?"

"James, I'm saying that so I don't kill her. I never said anything about causing her pain."

"That's almost a Slytherin way of thinking…..I like it." James and Lily shared a smile. Neville continued reading in spite of their small interruption.

**What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

"What? What happened?"

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.**

"Good one pup!"

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come… Thanksss, amigo."**

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

"**But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

"Into non-being which is to say everything."

"Harry, how do you know that?"

"You'll find out Nev."

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**.

"Lily?"

"Yes James?"

"Can we at least kill Dudley?"

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

Silence. Glares. Deep hatred. Neville began to fear that the book would turn into flames in his hands.

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

"Well, on one hand you shouldn't be sneaking around but since it's for food I think you're okay."

"Gee thanks Hermione," Harry added dryly.

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.**

"You remember that?"

"Yeah…"

"Wait a minute, you got hit by the Killing Curse?"

"Yeah…."

"And you survived?"

"Yeah….."

"Harry I think you broke Moony."

"I think I did too dad."

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all.**

The mood in the room turned depressed.

**His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

Lily shrugged.

"Can't say I didn't expect that."

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened;**

"Sirius, it is not your fault so don't even start!"

"Yes Ginny." Merlin she was scary!

**the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too.**

**A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything.**

"Sounds like Diggle."

"You know what Ron? I think it was."

**A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

"They all Apperated away? That probably made you think you were crazy or something."

"Yeah, a little bit."

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

"Are you sure we can't kill them Lily? Please?"

"No James. No matter how bad she is, she's still my sister. Therefore, we will give her injuries and not kill her."

"Okay." James sighed

"By the way, the chapter's done. Who wants to read next?"

"I will Neville." Harry relaxed. It was a good thing that Sirius volunteered to read this chapter and not the next one. All he had to do is make sure Ginny didn't get the chapter with Hagrid.

"Letters From No One," Sirius read.

A/N: [So, I was trying my hardest to update on my birthday (9/9/2011). As you can tell, it didn't happen. I went out of town for the weekend and was so busy that I didn't get to work on this chapter. As a matter of fact, I'm writing this while we're on our way home on the highway.] -(written (9/11/11)) I can tell you all are excited when I update and I thank you all for your support. All I ask is for one itty bitty favor. Please please please review. If you only say "Good. Update soon." I would be ok with that. Even if you said "Bad. You're horrible, stop writing." Honestly, I wouldn't care. I would simply tell you that it's your opinion and you're welcome to stop reading at any time. But I apologize a million times over and over and over even as I dodge your pitchforks and torches. *dodge* So *dodge* I'm *dodge* sorry! *dodge* But I will say this *ducks into corner* the more you throw things, the less time I have to update. *peeks out from corner* Ok, thank you for not throwing things anymore! ANYWAYS! Um….I'm a full time college student with a HUGE lazy streak and with an overactive imagination….soooo I'm pretty sure I forgot to say this earlier…but I don't own Harry Potter I just manipulate them into the way I want them to be. Sooooooooo should I take too long in updating…but you should review and motivate me! Haha but if you get tired of waiting for me and need something to read, check out the stories by ginnyrules27. She has a series where Quidditch players read the series. It's really cool and I never thought of using that particular group of people to try and change the events written in the books. But that's fanfiction right? So, I'm going to stop ranting and let you kick the button that lets you review so you can tell me what you think of the story!

Oh, on another note, I couldn't help myself bringing Neville, Luna and Teddy into the story. It's just Teddy's so cute and Neville is…Neville and Luna is…Luna. There's no other way to describe them. OH! Before I forget, I wanted your opinion. I kinda wanna make Neville and Luna a couple. I know it's not canon but…I always sorta kinda pictured them together. So… vote Neville and Luna couple or no on my profile please. I won't bring up the various relationships for another couple chapters but it's good to be prepared right? Um….I THINK I've taken care of everything…just so you know, no matter how long it takes me I _**WILL**_finish all seven Harry Potter books. There is the unfactorable factor known as college, life, parents, work, parents, siblings, life, work, parents, did I mention college? All joking aside, let me know how you feel. All the best.

~Jasmine Indigo Sappihhra~


	4. Chapter 3 Letters From No One part 1

"**Letters From No One,"** Sirius read

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. **

Everyone's eyes narrowed.

**By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

"Harry?" Ginny asked 'sweetly'

"Yes Ginny?" Harry knew what was coming and he really didn't want to have to answer

"When is your _dear_ cousin Dudley's Birthday?" Ginny asked, though her sweet tone didn't deceive anybody. They could _all_ tell she was pissed. (Yes, that includes Sirius)

"As curious as I am to find out the answer," Neville interrupted "We do have seven books to finish and we're on what, chapter three? We really need to get moving." Harry shot Neville a grateful glance. He really didn't want to tell them how long he was in there. One because he wasn't sure how long he was in the cupboard. Two because all the women were looking furious. He was talking _Harpy_ furious. Merlin, he did not want to be a Dursley.

**Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.**

"Hey Ron could you imagine Crabbe or Goyle leading Malfoy around?" Neville said snickering

"That's pretty hard to imagine mate." Ron said chuckling

"Haha a Crabbe or Goyle leading a Malfoy? That's like Sirius leading the Marauders!" James laughed

"Exac-HEY! Prongs!" Sirius whined. It didn't matter because no one heard him; they were too busy laughing at Sirius' expression. Finally when they got Sirius to top pouting, he continued reading.

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting.**

"What the F-"

"Bloody H-"

"JAMES! Language!"

"RONALD! Language!"

"Sorry Lily."

"Sorry Hermione."

Both Hermione and Lily could be heard muttering things about "insufferable gits who couldn't control their language" Suddenly Remus had an idea. He turned and whispered his idea to Lily, who quickly began to smirk. She then walked over to Hermione and whispered Remus' idea. Soon Hermione too was smirking. She was going to show them. The next time they needed to be warned for language, it was not going to be pleasant.

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings.**

"Nuh-uh! You're going to Hogwarts. Honestly Prongs what is wrong with your son?" Sirius asked

"Padfoot, are you mental? Did you pay any attention to the last chapter? They hate Harry! They're going to tell him anything to make him miserable. They didn't want him knowing he was a wizard; they kept this all from him! And you call yourself smart." James knew Padfoot was joking but he wasn't exactly sure Harry knew, so he tried to diffuse the possible problem

"Padfoot? There's a reason why I went to Moony for homework help. You suck." Harry said snickering. Before Sirius could come up with a reply Luna interrupted.

"Are we going to keep reading? I'm sure the Sparkling Nozems would like to hear the rest of the story. They only show up when there's a good story. Your life must be fascinating Harry, it looks like you've attracted a whole clan." Sirius, James, Remus and Lily just stared. This girl was truly odd.

Harry just nodded. "Sure thing Luna. Padfoot will you keep reading?" Sirius, too confused to give a verbal answer just nodded his head and resumed reading.

**Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High,**

**the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.**

"**They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

"**No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it — it might be sick." Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.**

The entire group was roaring with laughter.

"Thank God you've got Lily's wit Harry. I can't imagine you with James' brain!" Remus said as he wiped tears from his eyes.

"I know ri—Hey! MOONY!" James pouted as everyone else roared with laughter at his expense

Since James wanted to hear the rest of the story, he quickly schooled his face.

"Wait a second, Harry why didn't you walk? Dudley still wouldn't be able to figure out what you said?" Ron asked as he wiped tears off his face

"You know what Ron? I don't know why I didn't walk." Harry mused as Sirius kept reading anyway

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.**

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats,**

Sirius, James and Remus, Ron, and Ginny snickered. Lily, Hermione, and Neville looked sick. Luna had taken Teddy, who had woken up from his nap and was now concentrating on making faces at him. Harry was just looking at everyone, amusement clearly on his face. He had a feeling Padfoot wouldn't be able to finish the rest of the chapter and took the book for himself. Sirius didn't complain. And so Harry continued reading.

**orange knickerbockers,**

Sirius was now giggling. _Yes _giggling. Then again so was James and….Remus? Harry shrugged. Remus must be in full Marauder mode now. This was the Remus that loved pranking. Harry saw glimpses of this Remus in his third year, but it was good to see the Remus acting young, and not the weathered Marauder he met. He decided to finish reading the description of Dudley's awful school uniform.

**and flat straw hats called boaters.**

Sirius and James were now rolling on the floor with laughter, and Remus was holding onto the chair in order to keep from falling over. Ron and Ginny seemed to be supporting each other, though it looked like they were both holding onto Hermione whom, like Lily, had a faint green tinge.

"Thank Merlin for Hogwarts' black robes" Lily said. The description of that uniform was absolutely horrendous! Neville seemed to have disappeared and Luna was singing. Then Neville reappeared from the bathroom.

"Sorry Harry, but I got sick at the thought of a tub of lard fitting into those colors." Neville said, taking his seat next to Luna. Of course that renewed the laughter and it took a few minutes for everyone to get settled, Luna included. When Harry could breathe, he continued.

**They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

"How in the world is that good training for later life? That doesn't make any bloody sense!" Ron was muttering to himself, but everyone was thinking it

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life.**

James and Sirius mimed gagging.

**Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins,**

Another bout of laughter.

"Merlin, her nicknames suck." Sirius said through tears

"Oh, they get worse," Harry smirked

**he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.**

Harry had no problems pausing to laugh now.

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.**

"**What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.**

"It won't kill you to answer questions Petunia," Lily said as she rolled her eyes

"**Your new school uniform," she said.**

**Harry looked in the bowl again.**

"**Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."**

"Sarcasm doesn't work on her Harry."

"Yes mum."

"**Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."**

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue.**

"Well at least you learned better than this git right here, who argued _everything_"

"Padfoot!"

"What Prongs, it's true!"

"I have to say James, I agree with Sirius on this one….that felt weird to say." Remus added, and Lily nodded her head in agreement as well

Harry stopped the impending argument and just kept reading.

**He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High — like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

"Your descriptions are so wonderful Harry."

"Why thank you Hermione, you know I try."

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

**They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

"**Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.**

"You mean he's making his son do something?!" James asked

Instead of answering, Harry continued.

"**Make Harry get it."**

"Oh, the world is back to 'normal' again."

"James?"

"Yes Lily dear?"

"Glass box."

"Yes Lily dear."

"**Get the mail, Harry."**

"**Make Dudley get it."**

"**Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."**

Fury shone in Ginny's, Luna's, and Hermione's eyes. The Dursleys of the future should watch out.

**Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and — **_**a letter for Harry**_**.**

"HOGWARTS!"

"Padfoot?"

"Yes Moony?"

"Glass box and no pranking."

"Yes Moony," Sirius pouted

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him.**

"Oh I wouldn't say that Harry." Neville said

"Why would you say that Nev?"

"I'm pretty sure every student at Hogwarts has written you at least once in their lives. Isn't that right Ron?" Neville was laughing at the look on Ron's face. His ears were a deep shade of red and he was stammering to come up with a reply to an amused Harry.

"W-wwell you s-s-see mate, we a-all wrote you once. I might have written you a few times, but _Ginny_ wrote more than anyone I know" Ron finished, fully aware of the glare he was receiving from his little sister

Harry turned to his girlfriend "Is that true Gin?" He knew before he finished the sentence it was. Ginny's whole face had turned red and she was looking at the ground. He chuckled and to save her from further embarrassment he leaned over and whispered, "We'll talk about this later love."

**Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives — he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

_**Mr. H. Potter**_

_**The Cupboard under the Stairs 4 Privet Drive**_

_**Little Whinging**_

_**Surrey**_

"Hold on, let me get this straight, that was how your letter was addressed to you and no one noticed anything?" Sirius asked

"Actually, I believe…..actually I think you're right Sirius. How could no one have noticed?" Lily wondered out loud

"Well Harry did mention he told someone, but they didn't listen." Hermione interjected before a discussion set them back, it was suppertime anyway.

"How about we finish this chapter, eat, and then read a few more chapters before bed?" Ginny suggested

Sirius' stomach grumbled.

"I think Sirius agrees with you," Lily giggled.

"I never thought I'd meet someone who was hungry before Ron." Hermione laughed. Sirius and Ron just pouted because they couldn't refute what Hermione and Lily were saying

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink.**

**There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter **_**H**_**.**

"HOGWARTS!"

"Sirius if you don't shut your mouth we'll never finish this chapter, and if we never finish this chapter then you can't eat." Remus scolded him

"At least it got Sirius to shut up" Neville mumbled to Luna, who was now playing games with Teddy

"**Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.**

"We know funny," James said "and that's not funny."

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

"Harry," Lily groaned "why didn't you wait until they left you alone? Did you have to open it at the table?"

"Sorry Mum," Harry said, stifling a laugh. His mum was scolding him for something that happened almost ten years ago, "I was curious."

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.**

"**Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk…"**

"Is that the one?" Ron asked

"Yup." Harry answered

"Did you really?" Neville asked

"Yup."

"Did she remember?" Hermione asked

"Nope." Was Harry's response

"She deserved it right?" Neville again

"Without a doubt" Ginny answered for Harry

"Would you care to enlighten us as to what you're talking about?" Remus asked.

The six looked at each other and then the Marauders (plus Lily) and said, "Nope."

"Gah! You all are so frustrating!" Sirius yelled

"Sirius so help me, if you don't sit down I will lock you in that box for the rest of the night, and you won't be able to eat anything until tomorrow morning!"

"Geez Remus calm down. That red tint your face is taking doesn't look so healthy."

"James! Stop antagonizing Remus!"

"Yes Lily dear."

Ron leaned over to Harry "And they talk about us being infuriating. I want to get this chapter done." Harry laughed

"**Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"**

"Idiot."

"Dad, Dudley's going to be an idiot for quite a while, there's no need to comment on it every single time."

"I'll try to keep that in mind, but no promises."

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter,** **which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

"**That's **_**mine**_**!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.**

"**Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon,**

*cough* "Ginny" *cough* Ron said. Hermione then proceeded to throw a cough drop at him.

"Hermione! What was that for?"

"You know why Ronald Weasley! You do this all the time at home. I told you if you kept on I would throw cough drops at you. Just so you know I brought plenty." Ginny was giving a thumbs-up to Hermione, who had succeeded in getting Ron to shut up.

**shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.**

"That sounds disgusting."

"You should have been there Nev, it was worse"

"**P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.**

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.**

"**Vernon! Oh my goodness — Vernon!"**

"She was always a drama queen." Lily said rolling her eyes.

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.**

James could be seen biting his tongue.

"**I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

"_**I **_**want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's **_**mine**_**."**

"Lils, I think he has your temper dear."

"Are you saying I have a temper James?" Lily asked, narrowing her eyes

"No dearest, why would I say that?" James said, looking for an exit, or at least a way of escape from Lily's wrath. Seeing Luna and Teddy, he ran over to Luna, plucked Teddy out of her hands and gave him to Lily.

"Don't think you're getting out of this James Charlus Potter!" Lily said as she played patty-cake with a giggling Teddy, who had changed his hair to the same shade as Lily's.

"Yes dear." James said as he wiped his brow. Current crisis? Averted.

"**Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.**

"**I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.**

Sirius and Remus were snickering. Come to think of it, Harry did seem to get Lily's temper.

"**Let **_**me **_**see it!" demanded Dudley.**

"**OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole;**

**Dudley won, so Harry,** **his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.**

"That's the best place anyway pup!"

"I realize that Sirius, thank you for telling me information I already know." Harry said before he continued reading

"**Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address — how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"**

"**Watching — spying — might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

"**But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want —"**

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

"**No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer… Yes, that's best… we won't do anything…"**

"**But —"**

"**I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

"Excuse me, Harry dear. Could you repeat that last line?" Ginny asked in a voice that truly fooled no one.

**A/N: I know I know. You've waited for forever and it's not even a full chapter. Unfortunately I've had this part written for a while. I didn't want to break it up into parts of chapters, but you all have waited so long and I couldn't stand it anymore. So here is the forst part, with the rest soon to follow. I PROMISE. You'll get all my excuses and crap in the next part too. HOPE YOU STILL LOVE ME ~JIS**


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